This post may contain affiliate links. See my affiliate disclosure policy.
Craving something warm, creamy, and full of flavor but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen? This 30-minute vegan Thai coconut soup is my gift to you. It’s a quick and cozy take on the classic Tom Kha, made with tender mushrooms, sweet carrots, and creamy cashews for a satisfying, plant-based soup.
The rich coconut broth is infused with bright notes of lime, lemongrass, and a hint of heat—comfort food with a Thai-inspired twist. I’ve made this soup more times than I can count and I never get tired of it. I love it so much that I included it in my cookbook, Simple Green Meals.
Thailand Origins
Thai Coconut Soup, often called Tom Kha Gai, traditionally includes chicken and hails from northern Thailand, usually served with rice. My plant-based version swaps the meat for cashews and keeps it grain-free with zucchini noodles. Classic ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves add bold, aromatic flavor—feel free to include them!
Why This Thai Coconut Soup Rawks
- It’s a one-pot wonder. Simmer fresh veggies right in creamy coconut milk, soaking up every drop of Thai-inspired flavor. It’s got a cozy, spicy kick—just enough to warm you up without setting your mouth on fire. Not into heat? No problem. Simply dial back the curry paste and skip the serrano peppers to keep things milder.
- This soup actually gets better with time. Make it a day ahead and let those bold flavors mingle overnight. Just hold off on adding the zucchini noodles until you reheat—it keeps them from getting mushy and makes the whole bowl taste fresh and vibrant.
- It’s packed with plant-based nutrients. Between the mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, and creamy coconut milk, you’re getting fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats in every spoonful—aka fuel that tastes amazing.
- It’s ridiculously fast. This soup comes together in about 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you want something warm, nourishing, and not boring.
Storage Tips (Without the Mess)
One of my favorite things about soup? You can make a big batch and enjoy it all week—or freeze it for future “I-don’t-want-to-cook” nights. Thai coconut soup stores beautifully, but here’s a few pro tips:
- Skip adding the zucchini noodles if you plan to freeze it. Zoodles tend to turn mushy and slimy after thawing, and they’re super quick to toss in fresh when you reheat.
- Store your soup in a freezer-safe container or bag. I love Souper Cubes (use code Jen10 to get 10% off!)
- If you’re using glass jars, leave some space at the top for the soup to expand as it freezes (learned this the hard way with a shattered mason jar—zero stars, do not recommend).
Vegan Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Kha)
Ingredients
- 7 cups coconut milk light or full-fat canned
- ¼ cup Thai curry paste red or green
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp sea salt, unrefined
- 1 carrot very thinly sliced
- 1 cup baby bella mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 zucchini spiralized
For Serving
- ¼ cup raw cashews chopped
- ¼ cup green onions chopped
- 1 serrano pepper thinly sliced
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk and curry paste.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the maple syrup and salt.
- Add the carrots and mushrooms and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
- Add the zucchini noodles. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
- Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with cashews, scallions, chile pepper, and lime wedges.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- If zucchini ‘noodles’ aren’t your thing, then swap for brown rice or millet ramen
- You can use a vegetable peeler to create zucchini strips if you don’t have a spiralizer.
- Use full fat canned coconut milk for the richest flavor, use light canned coconut milk for less fat
- The nutrition facts are based on full-fat canned coconut milk. Use light canned coconut milk for fewer calories and fat.
- Omit the chili pepper and halve the amount of Thai curry paste for a less spicy meal
Nutrition
More Vegan Soup Recipes You’ll Love
After making this Thai coconut soup, try my other vegan soups —you won’t miss the meat for a second.
- My light and creamy celery soup takes 30 minutes and it’s easy to prepare a big batch and enjoy throughout the week to get in lots of fiber, nutrients and plant-based protein.
- This spicy black bean soup is bold, hearty, and bursting with flavor thanks to the smoky chili powder, warm cumin, and fragrant oregano.
- Experience the rich, smoky flavors of fire-roasted tomato soup. This hearty blend of roasted tomatoes, herbs, and spices delivers warmth and comfort in every spoonful.
Food shouldn’t be boring, and it should be easily shared. Grab one of these recipes today and help your family try something new!
I found the soup to have a good but different flavor. This is the first I have eaten the coconut milk and Thai curry paste (I used the red paste) and it took the second bowl before I got used to the flavor. Believe I will add some hot pepper or red pepper to it to give it a little more flavor.
I used the potato peeler on the zucchini and wound up with strips that were way too long. Next time I will have to cut the zucchini in half or thirds to get shorter pieces.
Enjoyed the soup and make it again.
This soup is by far my favorite. I will definitely be making again.
I believe I have made this recipe before. Tasty & comforting, but for some reason gave me a terrible stomach ache last time I made it. Maybe it was the full fat coconut milk? Maybe because the coconut milk had guar gum in it? (I will look for one without). This time I decided to go with light coconut milk & it was still good! I still love Thai coconut-based soups. I especially love vegan Kao-Soi at one of my favorite Thai restaurants. To this recipe I added some organic sprouted tofu & the suggested toppings, including cilantro. One additional topping that I’ve loved at the restaurant, is chopped pickles. I know, sounds strange, but is so delicious. I will make this again, as long as my stomach can tolerate!
Since I like eating Thai food, it’s nice to be able to create this refreshing soup at home!
This soup was amazing! I loved it with the cashews sprinkled on top! I look forward to pulling this out of my freezer in the upcoming colder months!
I made this soup, which I felt was a bit out of my comfort zone, as I don’t usually cook with some of the ingredients in the recipe, like coconut milk and mushrooms. It was unique in flavor and was a very welcome change to routine. I would definitely make it again.
This is so awesome Julie! Glad you tried something new!
Wow! This was so easy to make and it’s so delicious! I’ve never used the paste before! It makes such a great flavor. Love it!
OMG! This soup is delicious. I will definitely make it again. Now, I need to find a little lemon grass somewhere! Thank you for the recipe
Being pregnant, I halved the red curry paste. The flavour is wonderful. So many fresh, delicious ingredients and the zuchini rather than regular noodles means even more flavour while packing in more mourishment! I created little tubs of the condiments, and just love the lime hit.
This soup is so quick, easy, and of course, DELICIOUS!!! I used green curry paste. There’s a nice sweetness to the soup. The Serrano peppers give it a kick!
I think this may be my favourite soup!! It is so delicious and so simple to make. Just a few good real ingredients. My husband and I loved it and I actually finished the pot the same day I made it hahah it’s just hubby and me and I devoured it ❤️
This soup is SO amazing! It’s no wonder you two devoured it! 😀
Being pregnant and a little sensitive to acid, I halved the red curry paste. The flavour is wonderful. So many fresh, delicious ingredients and the zuchini rather than regular noodles means even more flavour while packing in more mourishment! I created little tubs of the condiments, and just love the lime hit.
So smart to adjust the recipe to what works for you, JW! And congrats on your little one!
I’ve looked at the recipe several times…. how many servings is it?
4 servings
Obsessed!!! This soup is magical! I love how I don’t have to even follow the measurements to a T… and it still taste great. Of course it’s better when I follow it, but sometimes I just like to be wild and free. I do add more of the Thai curry paste (the red one is my fav) and do add extra veggies like carrots and bamboo.
That’s so awesome, Dani!
It’s so fun to experiment on new recipes and tweak them as you go!
This soup is SO good! Thai spiced food is actually not my favorite, but this one is a definite winner.
This was a wonderful recipe – I definitely recommend this soup.
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Sheila!
EXCELLENT!!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SOUP!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH.I CAN EAT THIS EVERY DAY!
This is one of my favorite soups as well! I love it too. So delicious!!!
Hello. This soup is absolutely delicious! I personally tried to turn it into a stew by adding more veggies to it — also very good!
I would like to know if this recipe can be frozen. Has anyone tried freezing it?
Thank you, Jen.